Alibaba DashScope Qwen-MT Translation Channel

What is it?

Alibaba's DashScope (阿里百炼) platform provides multiple AI models, including:

• Qwen-MT series (qwen-mt-plus, qwen-mt-turbo): Large language models specifically optimized for machine translation, supporting 92 languages with features like terminology intervention, domain hints, and translation memory
• Qwen text generation models (qwen-plus, qwen-turbo, etc.): General-purpose LLMs that can also be used for subtitle translation
• Qwen3-ASR: For speech recognition (STT)

Prerequisites

• pyVideoTrans software
• A DashScope platform account (to obtain an API key)

How to Get an API Key

Step 1: Sign up and log in to DashScope

Go to https://bailian.console.aliyun.com/?tab=model#/api-key and log in with your Alibaba Cloud account.

Step 2: Create an API Key

1. After logging in, go to the API Key management page
2. Click "Create API Key"
3. Copy the generated API key

Step 3: Enable model access

On first use, you need to enable access to the corresponding models. Complete this in the DashScope console.

Configuring in pyVideoTrans

1. Open the menu bar → Translation Settings → Alibaba DashScope (Open-MT)
2. Enter the API key from DashScope in the API Key field
3. Select a model based on your needs (see below)
4. Click the Test button to verify the connection
5. Save after a successful test

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Using Qwen-MT for Subtitle Translation (Recommended)

Qwen-MT is specifically optimized for machine translation, offering higher translation quality.

Available models:

Model	Features
qwen-mt-plus	High-quality translation, suitable for professional use
qwen-mt-turbo	Faster translation, better cost-effectiveness

1. Select qwen-mt-plus or qwen-mt-turbo in the model dropdown
2. On the main interface, select Alibaba DashScope as the translation channel

Qwen-MT models support terminology intervention and domain hints, which can improve translation quality for specialized content. Learn more at: https://bailian.console.aliyun.com/?tab=doc#/doc/?type=model&url=2860790

Using Qwen Text Generation Models for Subtitle Translation

In addition to Qwen-MT, general Qwen text generation models can also be used for subtitle translation:

Model	Description
qwen-plus	General-purpose high-quality model
qwen-turbo	General-purpose fast model

Simply select the corresponding model in the model dropdown.

Using Qwen3-ASR for Speech Recognition

Qwen3-ASR is also available through the DashScope API. Configure your API key and select the speech recognition model in Translation Settings → Alibaba DashScope, then select Qwen3-ASR as the speech recognition channel.

Recommended Configuration

Setting	Recommended Value
API Key	Obtained from DashScope platform
Translation Model	qwen-mt-turbo (everyday use) or qwen-mt-plus (high quality)
Speech Recognition Model	qwen3-asr

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
"Authentication Error"	API key incorrect	Re-obtain the API key from DashScope
"Model does not exist"	Incorrect model name	Use the recommended model names listed above
Empty translation result	Model not enabled or insufficient balance	Confirm the model is enabled in DashScope and top up your account
Error when using multimodal model	Wrong model type selected	Qwen-MT translation requires a text-only model — do not select multimodal models